Experiencing problems installing a new video card and DVD burner, I
decided to dismantle and reassemble my ASUS A7V600 motherboard based
machine. When I got the the power supply connectors (20 pin), the
plug was hard to pull: when it did pull free, it turned out that four
of the +5 VDC pins were burned, the individual nylon jackets around
the connectors --- male (if you will) that plugs into the
motherboard's header---had melted off. The residue prevents
installation of another power supply connector. The motherboard
header is charred and melted as well.
I don't want to be boring, but I'll describe the experience in some
detail. What I really would like to know, however, is the following:
What causes might lead the power supply connector (+5V pins
only) to overheat to this extent?
The symptoms I experienced were no separable from a long standing,
bizaare problem I have had with video for several years:
intermittently, the video will or will not start up, depending upon
unknown factors: shaking a cable, removing and reinserting the video
card, or cleaning video card contacts, or moving the box might cause
the dreaded "no signal" signal. Once the machine is working, if it is
left alone (I should saw was, now, eh?) it works for months without a
problem. I finally gave up on a Matrox G540 card, and installed an
old PCI Matrox Mystique. It's worked, such as it is, for many months
now. I thought something might be wrong with the AGP slot? But even
that card will give a fit once in a while.
When I was booting, if I heard a decisive click, like a relay, from
the box, I knew the video signal would be ok. If not, I knew there
wouldn't be any.
I decided to buy a new video card. The local shop had an MX4000,
which has been working really cleanly for me w/ TV-out on GNU/Linux
(Gentoo by the way), for months on another machine. I installed it,
it worked, but there were some issues. The dreaded "no signal" signal
started happending again.
So I jiggered around with the box, changing back to the PCI card, then
to the MX4000, and pulling, cleaning, replacing cards. Finally, the
damned thing refused to give any video signal at all, no click,
nothing. The fan would start up, the HDDs spin up, but no video
signal.
That is when I started to dismantle the system. And discovered this
melted connector issue.
Noone I have met on island has seen a melted connector. I have hypotheses.
- maybe I jiggered around a bit much, or jiggered when the machine
was on. I cannot say for sure that I didn't.
- maybe the connector was melted for a while.
- maybe the power supply was overloaded. I have been running 3 HDDs
of 13, 30, and 80GB---all Parallel IDE. I noticed that when I started
to try to run the DVD burner, new on the same day, the power supply
fan started to bog down a bit.
I cannot find any reference in a book on PC Upgrading and Repair, or
on line in my days of searching, to what a charred power supply cable
connector might mean. Well, I think maybe I saw one, but it was a
minor note, and I don't remember anything helpful. I do see lots of
references to overloading power supplies, but nothing about what
symptoms would be. Not burned or melted connectors, anyway.
The power supply was a 300W Tiger Pro model that has been working ok
for 3 years. I do remember once seeing a voltage was wrong in the
bios hardware monitor section, but don't remember which voltage, and I
just ignored it. I think it was a 12V signal, though.
I have purchased a new TigerPro 500W PSU, and I am now waiting for a
Motherboard and Athlon 64, but I'd still like to make use of that
motherboard. A kid here who putters around is trying to solder on a
new power header onto the MB.
Based on what I have described, is there a chance that such a measure
could work, and what risks are there? Another local expert suspects
some power issues on the MB. The Heat SInk on the Chipset is loose,
and I have overheated the system at least once.
Thanks for any suggestions,
Alan Davis
--
Alan Davis, Kagman High School, Saipan [log in to unmask] 1-670-256-2043
I consider that the golden rule requires that if I like a program I
must share it with other people who like it.
--------Richard Stallman
Do you want to signoff PCBUILD or just change to
Digest mode - visit our web site:
http://freepctech.com/pcbuild.shtml
|
